Seismic exploration involves surveying subterranean geological formations for hydrocarbon deposits. A seismic survey typically involves deploying seismic source(s) and seismic sensors at predetermined locations. The sources generate seismic waves, which propagate into the geological formations creating pressure changes and vibrations along their way. Changes in elastic properties of the geological formation scatter the seismic waves, changing their direction of propagation and other properties. Part of the energy emitted by the sources reaches the seismic sensors. Some seismic sensors are sensitive to pressure changes (hydrophones), others to particle motion (e.g., geophones), and industrial surveys may deploy only one type of sensors or both. In response to the detected seismic events, the sensors generate electrical signals to produce seismic data. Analysis of the seismic data can then indicate the presence or absence of probable locations of hydrocarbon deposits.
Historically, seismic data acquisition along a surface has been accomplished by placing seismic sources and sensors along a straight line. In such a configuration, it is assumed that the reflection points in the ground are located in a two-dimensional plane delimited by the transverse line and the vertical axis. This is often referred to as a two-dimensional seismic survey. However, three-dimensional seismic surveys are often preferred in order to obtain better signal quality and to improve the space and the time resolution. One of the drawbacks of three-dimensional surveys is the requirement of a large amount of sensors, which necessitates a large deployment crew. This results in increased costs and decreased efficiency. Accordingly, improved seismic sensors allowing for sparse sampling and thus less deployment of sensors without compromising data quality are desired.